when does the joker's 8 dorp ability happen?

if my deck is already run out and he hits the field, game over right there?

draw phase. do i have to draw 2 cards during the draw phase?

The Joker, Emperor Joker
Character, Arkham Inmates, 8
17/17
Loyalty. When an opponent has no cards left in his deck, he loses the game.
Pay 1 endurance >>> If an opponent would lose endurance this turn, that opponent removes from the game that many cards from the top of his deck instead.

It triggers as soon as there is no cards left in the deck.

You have to draw during your draw phase, it is not optional.

I thought you could continue playing when you had no cards left, or I read teh rule book wrong. Or I misunderstood you.

Page 14 of teh rule book:

Joker supersides that as it is a power of the card.
Normally you are right but in this case the card supersedes that rule.

Chad is correct that you must draw the two cards.

I'm sure he wasn't considering the loss you mention, what the original poster was wondering was if he could just not draw cards to keep from losing to Joker's ability.

So you are both right. If you have any cards in your deck, you must draw them. If you cannot draw them, you are not eliminated from the game.

With Joker in play, getting decked is a game loss.

So if you cannot draw, you've already lost and haven't reached the draw phase.

Exactly, which is why you are never eliminated for not being able to draw two cards. Joker has nothing to do with drawing cards, per se.

I was responding to someone who was confused by Chad's answer that you must draw two cards. That poster thought he was wrong because the rules say you are not eliminated for not being able to draw cards.

I was clarifying that Chad's statement (you cannot choose to not draw) related to avoiding the fate of Joker (by not reducing your own deck size) and not to naturally running out of cards.

My apologies if that wasn't clear to anyone.